At WSS we provide a range of training and certification to Canadian and US Standards. All of the courses have a theory and practical aspect. Crewing is mostly practical while Navigation is mostly theory, something to come to grips with. The SLC is accepted in most places around the globe and requires serious navigation chops .
CRYA is a book based system while NE is almost all on-line, now including virtual reality sailing courses and races!
Competent Crew. If you have never sailed or want to freshen up your skills this course will provide lots of time on the water practicing and perfecting all of these skills.
- Orientation before every sail.
- General Seamanship, the parts of the boat, how they work, what they do.
- Knots and rope work.
- Theory of sail. How do sails work, how can we adjust them for best effect through all points of sail.
- Docking, mooring and anchoring. Theory and practice. Most accidents happen in the marina or while at anchor.
- Boat Systems. Electrical, plumbing, propulsion,
- Safety afloat. Crew overboard drills, flotation, medical, PPE.
Day Skipper. With Day Skipper certification you can charter yachts. CRYA is accepted by Canadian Chartering companies and NE is also accepted in Europe, Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand. As a Day Skipper you are in charge and control of the boat. We will work on these specifically.
- Your responsibilities as a skipper.
- Collision Avoidance regulations, COLREGS
- Buoys and Aids to Navigation, ATONs
- Voyage planning
- Vessel inspection and maintenance
- Safety equipment
- Crew overboard recovery
- Sail trim and sail management
- Mooring, docking and anchoring
- Tide and Current tables, Lee shores.
- Weather reports and forecasts
- Radio operation, Restricted Operators Certificate ROC
- Sound signals
- Navigation
Sailing License and Credentials SLC Once you are competent, confident and certified, and you would like to charter internationally you can take the SLC course to obtain this certified proof of your skills, knowledge and abilities. The SLC certificate is comparable to the RYA and ITC certifications. Having a CRYA Day Skipper or better certification is helpful. To get a SLC license you must.
- Have over 50 days logged with at least 25 of them on a boat longer that 28ft and 25 as skipper.
- Pass a 6 hour on water assessment.
- Pass the NE Bareboat Charter Master bundle of courses.
An easy way to log your sailing history is with the free NE digital log.
NauticEd sailing certification
Bareboat Charter Master This bundle of online courses is provided by NE. We will provide support and teaching assistance when needed and provide the on-water assessments.
Coastal Skipper. This course continues with what has already been covered. And as you would now appreciate it reinforces those lessons, provides more practical experience and expands your knowledge base. Topics covered include.
- COLREGS
- Meteorology
- Boat systems, repair and maintenance
- Health and safety
- Anchoring, docking and mooring
- Sail handling and introducing spinnakers.
Coastal Navigation. This intensive course does not include as much sailing but it will increase your comfort and safety. Although electronic navigation tools have come a long way and in many places have replaced paper charts this knowledge is useful and mandatory for SLC certification. It includes course work on.
- Theory
- Equipment and Charts
- Lights, buoys and ATONs
- Tides and Currents
- Plotting a course, determining a fix.
- Sailing Directions, updated location specific information, not which way should we go.
- Notices to Mariners
- Set and Drift
- Soundings
- Chart reading
- Compass work
Racing I have been racing pretty well since I learned how to sail. In the beginning days we considered ourselves lucky if we finished before they took the marks in but a few years later we finished mid-pack in the international J-24 regatta. Since then we have won our share of races and regattas on one-design J-24s and Thunderbirds and larger racing / cruising yachts. Racing is the best way, hands down, to improve your sailing skills and the most excitement possible at less than 20 km per hour.
Racing clinics will include.
- Lots of drilling for sail changes, tacking, gybing, spinnaker work, mark-rounding, starting.
- Rules of racing, techniques to take advantage of the rules.
- Racing, mostly in English Bay but also perhaps regattas here and there.
